


Light My Fire

by Genie60



Series: Poldark Series 2- Dribs and Drabs [2]
Category: Poldark (TV 2015)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-22 02:12:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8268815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genie60/pseuds/Genie60
Summary: Ross is made to notice Demelza after so long. And give her the attention he's been giving to another.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by Twitter and Tumblr discussions about wanting to see Ross kiss Demelza's hand and not Elizabeth.

Ross was kneeling at the fireplace trying to get the scant amount of wood to catch.  He was surprised that only a few logs and some slim branches were piled in the hearth when usually Demelza had kept the stock filled. Using a flint he was finally able to get a meager fire going.  He was about  to call for her when she entered the parlor with Jeremy in tow. 

“Ross,” she said, the surprise obvious in her tone. “I didn’t expect to see you until supper.  Is everything alright at the mine?”

“The same,” he answered, uninterested in her question.

Putting Jeremy on the floor with some toys, Demelza sat down and started to mend one of Ross’s shirts again.  She struggled with pulling the needle through the material as her fingers were raw and still healing from the gathering of wood she and Prudie did the day before.  She had to stop before getting the amount she normally did as her hands could not take any more abuse.

Without seeing what she was doing Ross spoke.

“Why is there no firewood, Demelza?  You usually are more diligent about such things.”  Demelza raised her head at his statement, doing all she could not to fling the material she held at him.  His tone was reminiscent of her days as his maid, rather than his wife and she tried to put it down to the stress of the mine and their finances.  Not to mention the burden he’s taken on of Francis’ estate which revolved around Elizabeth.

Ross was still facing the fire trying to get a blaze so he didn’t see the look on his wife’s face. She slammed the shirt down next to her and stood.

“I’m sorry, Ross,” she started to say. “I haven’t had time to go to the woods and gather more kindling. Other things around the house have taken up my time.”

He finally stood and looked at her.  Her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears and she clasped her hands in front of her lightly as anything more forceful would be painful.

“Why in God’s name are you the one gathering firewood?”  Ross moved toward her, his faced expecting an explanation. “Do I have to remind you that your are mistress of Nampara and should not be doing such chores?”

Demelza fought back a laugh at that statement. She has not felt like she was mistress of anything, let alone his house in months.  The lack of attention and acknowledgement did have her feeling like she was his maid once again.  His dismissive attitude, even in their bed had  her believing that he wanted to go back to that platonic relationship.  Part of her thought this was because of his revised infatuation with Elizabeth. And the other part thought that perhaps he found her so unseemly that his interest was just gone.

“And if I didn’t do it, who do you suppose would, Ross? You’re never around enough to help with this chores so I must tend to them myself with the help of Prudie and Jinny.”  She looked him squarely in the eye and waited for a response but none came.  Ross watched her as her demeanor changed from hurt to determined. Demelza felt empowered. So much so that she was going to say what she had been thinking for awhile now.

“Perhaps if you paid attention to your own home and family, including your son, things wouldn’t fall by the wayside.  Yes, Francis might be gone, but Elizabeth still has  servants and others around who can do these chores for her.  I do not.  I tend to your house and your child so that you can tend to someone else’s. “

“Demelza,”  he started to say but stopped. He had no words to refute her accusations. She was right. 

Suddenly and without warning, Demelza dropped to the settle, put her face in her hands and cried.  It was not something she did often and never in front of Ross.  Seeing her so vulnerable awakened something in Ross.  He sat next to her and took her hands away from her face, saw her injuries for the first time.  Looking up at her, Ross saw her embarassment as she tried to pull them away. 

“What is this?” he asked sincerely.

“Tis nothing Ross.  Just the some soreness from when Prudie and me gathered wood yesterday. “

She clasped her hands back in her lap and bent her head, the tears falling silently.

Ross reached over, putting a finger under her chin and lifting it so he could meet her gaze.

“My love, I am sorry.  I never realized how much I left for you to handle while I tried to do the right thing.  Can you forgive me?”  Now the tears were gathering in his eyes as he took her hands and gently placed a kiss on each finger.   When he was done, he lifted his hands to her face and held it there while he showed her just what she meant to him.

The kiss was full of longing and promise. Demelza sighed into his mouth as she reached up to hold him close.

“I can forgive you, my love.  As long as we can stay like this forever.”

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd and barely edited. Written on a whim.
> 
> But I might continue......


End file.
